Home Saunas: Traditional Steam vs Infrared sauna? Or Hybrid…?

Traditional Steam vs Infrared sauna vs Hybrid Saunas?

Everyone is familiar with the concept of the classic sauna; a cosy room to relax in where steam surrounds you and transports you to a realm of pure relaxation. But did you also know that there was an alternative to the classic sauna? For several years now, infrared saunas have been gaining traction in the marketplace – and for good reason – they’re modern, fashionable and regular usage of them can provide a wealth of health benefits.

Feel free to check out some of the health benefits by following this link: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/infrared-sauna-benefits

And while today we’ll still be highlighting the benefits of the classic, steamy sauna, we’ll also be taking this opportunity to discuss the slightly less known, ultra-trendy infrared alternative – as well as the best-of-both-worlds hybrid models.

Traditional Steam Saunas

Let’s kick things off with the classic design, the one that we all know and love. The mechanics for this one are quite straightforward and remain fundamentally unchanged from the concept that has already existed for thousands of years already – and that concept is, of course, to add water to a source of heat which produces steam that surrounds the user(s).

For more in-depth information about the history of saunas, click the following link: https://medium.com/estoniansaunas/heres-why-the-history-of-the-sauna-is-deeper-than-you-might-think-d8e5127a8232

But there’s a reason why this fundamentally unchanged design has stood the test of time – simply put – it feels brilliant! Not only does it sooth the body, and therefore the mind, but it provides an opportunity to get together with people, just as they did in the days of old, and relax with a sense of community; that being said, we do now live in the modern world, where individual saunas for personal use are more accessible than ever before, so there’s definitely something to be said for the getting some quality time to yourself, if that’s how you relax best.

When it comes to traditional steam saunas, we have a variety of models that we think you would love. Just to highlight a few, we have our Traditional Steam Double 2 Person Indoor Sauna, perfect for yourself and a partner or friend, as well as our Luxury Steam Traditional Indoor Sauna with Glass Door, offering a higher capacity and some premium benefits, including an almost entirely glass front panel. Lastly, we simply must give a mention of our Big Traditional Steam 5-6 Person Indoor Sauna, a product so luxurious that parties could be planned around its usage.

Infrared Saunas

Now let’s move on to the lesser-known sibling of the steam sauna: the infrared sauna. When it comes to providing you with a relaxing experience, this piece of modern equipment takes a very different path to arrive at roughly the same destination, speaking metaphorically. This is because unlike a traditional steam sauna, infrared saunas don’t use steam to heat you up. Instead, they use ceramic or carbon panels to produce infrared rays that heat up your body rather than heating up the entirety of the room around you.

This, of course, provides a significantly different experience compared to that of a traditional steam sauna. With an infrared, you’ll be trading moisture and humidity for a much dryer environment, and one that comes with a unique red/blue hue that will surely add a touch of modern aesthetic to your home. But that’s not all, several professionals have concluded that the infrared rays omitted from within the sauna cause the heat to enter the skin at a deeper level, allowing the user to experience the benefits of sauna usage more thoroughly.

If you’d like to read more about that specifically, just follow this link: https://www.healthline.com/health/infrared-sauna-benefits

In addition to supplying our extensive range of luxurious traditional steam saunas, we also offer a wide variety of stunning infrared models. We’d love to draw your attention to our Single Infrared Light Sauna, a perfect choice for someone looking to find some individual relaxation time. Of course, we offer a Double Infrared Light Sauna as well, in case solo isn’t your style. Finally, for slightly larger groups we have our 3 Person Red Infrared Light Sauna as well our 4 Person Glass Sauna Room.

Combination/Hybrid Saunas

So, now we’ve discussed traditional steam and infrared saunas… What if there was a choice for a third option? An option that was able to combine the best of both worlds – just in case we’ve been too persuasive – and you find yourself unable to choose between models. If that is the position you find yourself in, please allow us to introduce our combination/hybrid models; saunas that can produce steam, for that classic feel, as well as infrared rays to change up to a more modern sauna experience at the switch of a button.

We’ve already gone into a bit of detail on the mechanics of both sauna varieties, so we won’t go over covered ground. Instead, we’ll just move on to highlighting some of our favourite hybrid models, starting with our Double 2 Person Combination Bio Indoor Sauna, although if you’d like something a little larger then we have our 3 Person Combination Bio Indoor Sauna as well as our 4 Person Combination Bio Indoor Sauna. Finally, if you’re looking for something to seriously impress your guests, while keeping you relaxed, then look no further than our 5-8 Person Combination Bio Indoor Sauna – one of the largest models we offer.

Health Benefits

Although this is a topic that we’re going to cover more thoroughly in a future blog post, it would be a missed opportunity to not briefly mention a few of the health benefits you can expect to receive from regular sauna usage. Let’s start with the most obvious one: enhanced relaxation. Inviting more relaxation into your life can bring a wealth of benefits, both for the mind and body. Let’s start with mental health, more relaxation can help with anxiety, depression, insomnia, improved mood, focus and sleep quality. In terms of the body, relaxation can improve muscle tension, pain, chronic conditions as well as lowering blood pressure, decrease heart rate and respiration rate – all good stuff!

If you want to learn more about the benefits of relaxation, feel free to have a read here: https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-what-happens-when-relax

Cold Months Ahead

As a wrap-up, we’d just like to emphasise that now is the best time of year to get your home kitted out with a sauna; just as the months begin to get colder and the nights darker. Ideally, it would be a perfect scenario to have a sauna set up before winter begins, so you’re ready-to-go any time you like during the times when you’ll need that extra warmth and relaxation most.

So, please feel free to browse our website to find the perfect addition to your home today!